Crime And Devience Flashcards
(38 cards)
What is a crime?
An action that is punishable by law.
What is Deviance?
Behaviour that doesn’t conform to social norms and expectations.
What is utilitarian crime?
Crimes done for material gain such as theft or fraud.
What is non-utilitarian crime?
Crimes done not for material gain such as violence or vandalism.
Which sociologist used the deprivation theory to explain why people commit crimes?
John Bowlby
Explain John Bowlby’s material deprivation explanation of why people commit crimes?
People who are deprived of a mother figure and love at a young age are more likely to become juvenile delinquents.
What explanation does Freud give for people commiting crime?
Personality Traits - Id, Ego and Superego.
What is the mental abnormality explanation for why people commit crimes?
This idea suggests criminals have some sort of brain damage or mental illness which causes them to commit crimes.
What did Limbrosso find in Italian prisons?
He found criminals were a less evolved human, because they have features such as small eyes,big ears and big forehead.
What are the 4 ways crime is socially constructed?
- historically
-contextually
-culturally
-age
How do functionalists view society?
Value Consensus - members of society share a common culture that binds individuals together.
What are the 2 ways functionalists say social solidarity is achieved?
- socialisation, which instills the shared culture onto its members causing them to act in the right way.
- social control, which punishes people for deviance and rewards conformity.
Durkheim believes crime is FIN, what does this stand for.
Functional, Inevitable, Normal
Wha are the 2 classes society is divided into according to Marxists?
Proletariat and Bourgeoisie
What are the bourgeoisie?
The upper class - own means of production and benefit from cheap labour
What are proletariat?
Working class - exploited for their cheap labour
In he Marxist view of crime, what are the 3 main elements?
Criminogenic capitalism, state and law making, ideological functions of crime and law
What do Marxists mean when referring to capitalism as criminogenic?
Capitalism causes crime - working class are exploited, resulting in frustration and aggression which can give a rise to crime
Capitalism is a ‘dog eat dog’ system, what does this mean and how does it cause crime?
There is competition among capitalists for profit, causing a mentality of greed. This results in white collar crime such as tax evasion and breaches in health and safety
What are offshore companies?
Companies set up across boarders, where people can legally avoid paying taxes through loopholes. For example, the British Virgin Islands are seen as tax havens.
What is selective enforcement?
When law enforcement prosecute and apply the law, powerless groups like ethnic minorities are criminalised. Chambliss said there is ‘one rule for the rich and another for the poor’.
Whats an ideological function?
Set of beliefs that are dominant in society, and are used to justify the power of the ruling class
Whats the corporate homicide act 2007?
A law which holds companies criminally responsible for any fatalities caused by health and safety failures.
